High strength low mass seat mounting system for row seating

ABSTRACT

A seat mounting system for row seating is a means to support a plurality of adjacent backrest and seat assemblies, fixedly arranged in rows in a seating facility. Rows of seats may be arranged in a straight line or curved line. The mounting system consists of support columns or brackets affixed to a floor or riser surface, with cross members linking the supports. The support columns or brackets may include devices for mounting armrests, backrests, and seats. The seat portion of the assembly is commonly mounted on an axle or pivot rod cross member to allow the seat to be rotated from a horizontal to a vertical position when not in use. Strength is critical to safety of the occupant, while reduced mass is critical to conservation of materials and energy.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application asserts priority from provisional application 61/503,166 filed on Jun. 30, 2011 which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fixed seats arranged in rows as commonly used in theaters, auditoriums, stadiums, houses of worship, and similar spectator seating.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Theater, auditorium, stadium, worship and other spectator seating is typically arranged in rows facing a common area for viewing an event. Rows may be arranged in straight lines or curved lines as dictated by the design of the structure. Floor surfaces or risers may be constructed as level or plumb, or at angles from level or plumb depending on design requirements, and construction variations. Support columns are affixed to the floor or riser. Spectator seating typically consists of a seat assembly with a back rest and seat. The seat assemblies are arranged in a plurality of rows, with a plurality of adjacent individual seats or chairs, sharing common support columns or standards. The support columns and cross members form the mounting system for the seats. The seat is commonly mounted on an axle or pivot rod to permit the seat to rotate from horizontal or vertical when the seat is not occupied.

When a row of seats is filled with spectators, movement of the spectators, especially coordinated movement in response to activities viewed, creates large forces of stress and strain. The forces may cause excessive lateral movement of the seat structures, which can fatigue the support system, and ultimately cause failure of the support system. Mounting systems are often constructed with excess material, using components of common stock metal forms, to address these issues.

The seat support pivot rod or axle is commonly mounted to the support column in a manner which limits structural support of the mounting system. The pivot rod may be rigidly affixed to the seat bottom and rotates in a saddle mounted on the support column, which provides little or no lateral support to the structure. Alternatively, the pivot rod may be rigidly affixed to the support column, and the seat rotates about the pivot rod with bushings rigidly mounted to the seat. In this design, the axle is mounted to the support column indirectly with a mounting bracket welded to each end of the pivot rod. This arrangement creates a potential weak point at the weld to the pivot rod, and also a flex point relative to the column which reduces resistance to lateral movement.

Typically, the seat support cross member is attached to the support column with two or more fasteners at each end of the cross member, adding to installation labor and mass of the structure.

Additionally, seating for such facilities requires construction of mounting systems with mounts affixed to support columns at angles specific to the structure in which they are mounted. To meet the requirement of different mounting angles, the bottom of the support column is cut to the required angle, and the foot plate must often be altered to fit the required angle. Alternatively, a plurality of foot plate patterns must be produced to accommodate the required angles. Often, the spacing of the mounting holes in the foot plate is changed when the angle of the foot plate is changed. This exacerbates installation, since mounting studs for each column must be placed in floors or risers at different spacing.

When fixed armrest brackets are added to the seat support column, the arm rest pad, constructed of wood, plastic, or other material, is typically attached to the bracket with one or more fasteners and a often variety of mating longitudinal grooves or rails in the pad and support. The armrests so attached have a tendency to work loose in use. During installation, affixing the armrests with the fasteners can require much installation time.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for seat mounting systems for theater, auditorium, stadium, worship and other spectator seating that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a high strength, low mass, seat mounting system, which reduces the mass of the system, while increasing strength, and simplifying installation at the building site.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of constructing the support column of a single piece of sheet metal, cut to a shape, folded in a manner to create a tapered tubular column, with a projecting wing for mounting the back rest at a plurality of angles, and a single welded or otherwise bonded seam, which increases the strength of the support column in critical areas while reducing total mass of metal required to provide the necessary strength.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of constructing mounting foot brackets, which may be attached in pairs, to the base of the support column, at a variety of angles. The mounting foot contains on or more holes for affixing the foot to the floor or riser. A constant spacing between the front and rear mounting holes is maintained for any angle at which the feet are attached. Additionally, the mating surface between the foot and the column maximizes resistance to side forces.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of constructing the pivot rod of round bar stock with ends flattened to approximately one half the diameter of the rod, with one side of the flattened surface continuous with the surface of the outside of the rod, and the opposite end flattened such that the outside surface is continuous to the surface of the outside of the rod, at 180 degrees offset to the opposite side of the rod from the first flattened surface. The flattened surface at each end of the rod is pierced with an oblong hole for mounting the rod to the support column bracket. One pivot rod end is stacked on top of a second pivot rod end, mounted to a common support column bracket with a single fastener, for adjacent seats.

According to another aspect of the present invention a spacer is constructed for use on the pivot rod column mount on each end of a row of seats, which keeps the pivot rod level when a single pivot rod end is affixed to the mounting point.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the optional addition of a fixed armrest pad support bracket to the seat support column, constructed of a plurality of mounting tabs projecting from the surface of the bracket at a common angle, with a single threaded fastener which is installed through the bracket and draws the armrest pad tight to the mounting tabs; combined with an armrest pad with recesses cut or molded to mate with said mounting tabs.

Therefore, the present invention provides a seat mounting system for theater, auditorium, stadium, worship and other spectator row seating which is strong, low mass, durable, and simplifies both construction and installation.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seat mounting system with seat assemblies in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a side elevation of the seat mounting system of FIG. 1, with one seat folded up;

FIG. 2B is a front elevation of FIG. 1, with one seat folded up;

FIG. 3A is a front view of the assembled support column with armrest support;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the assembled support column with armrest support;

FIG. 3C is a bottom view of an armrest pad;

FIG. 4A is a front view of the pivot rod assembly;

FIG. 4B is a top view of the pivot rod assembly;

FIG. 5A is a detail view of the pivot rod assembly ends as mounted on a support column between adjacent seats;

FIG. 5B is a detail view of the pivot rod assembly end as mounted on an end of row support column.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the support column.

FIG. 7A is a side view thereof.

FIG. 7B is a front view thereof

FIG. 7C is a partial view of the mounting bracket for the pivot rod.

FIG. 7D is a top view of the support column.

FIG. 8A is side view of a column tube.

FIG. 8B is a rear view thereof

FIG. 8C is a top view thereof.

FIG. 8D is a flat blank for forming the tube.

FIG. 9A is a flipped end view of a foot component.

FIG. 9B is a perspective view thereof

FIG. 9C is a top view thereof.

FIG. 9D is a side view thereof.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a seat portion.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the seat portion as viewed from below.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a pivot rod projecting from the seat portion.

FIG. 13A is an end view of a seat mount.

FIG. 13B is an opposite end view of the seat mount.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a backrest frame for a further embodiment of a seat assembly.

FIG. 15A is a side view of an alternate support column for the backrest frame of FIG. 14.

FIG. 15B is a front view thereof.

FIG. 15C is a top view thereof.

FIG. 16A is a side view of a further embodiment of a support column for the backrest frame of FIG. 14.

FIG. 15B is a front view thereof.

Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “rightwardly” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the arrangement and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A seat mounting system for row seating is a means to support a plurality of adjacent backrest and seat assemblies 15, fixedly arranged in rows in a seating facility. Rows of seats may be arranged in a straight line or curved line. The mounting system consists of support columns or brackets affixed to a floor or riser surface, with cross members linking the supports. The support columns or brackets may include devices for mounting armrests, backrests, and seats. The seat portion of the assembly is commonly mounted on an axle or pivot rod cross member to allow the seat to be rotated from a horizontal to a vertical position when not in use.

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a seat or chair mounting assembly 1 includes a support column or standard assembly 2 that supports: a seat portion 3 via a pivot rod assembly 4; a back rest portion 5; and optionally an armrest support 6 (FIGS. 1-5) having an armrest pad 6A. The support column 2 is a shared by adjacent seat assemblies 15, except when used for the end seat assembly in a row; as installed in theaters, auditoriums, stadiums, houses of worship, and similar spectator seating. The pivot rod assembly 4 supports the movable seat portion 3, and is affixed at each end to the support column assembly 2 by a single fastener 4A. The single fastener 4A is shared with the pivot rod assembly 4 of the adjacent seat 3 as seen in FIG. 5A.

Referring to FIGS. 3A & 3B, the inventive support column 2 is shown in more detail. The tapered column or support tube 16 of rectangular cross section and the projecting back support wing 9, together are constructed of a single piece of sheet metal as illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8D. The support wing 9 includes fastener holes for supporting the back rest portion 5 thereon. The foot 7, pivot rod mounting bracket 8, and optional armrest pad support bracket 6 are illustrated. The mounting bracket 8 projects forwardly and includes hole 8A (FIGS. 4A, 6 and 7C) receiving the fastener 4A vertically therethrough as seen in FIG. 4A.

Again referring to FIGS. 3A & 3B, the inventive foot construction 7, in the preferred configuration of attachment of one foot component 7A at the front and one foot component 7B at the rear of the column base 2A, is demonstrated. It should be noted that the support column 2 may constructed with the base 2A at other angles than shown. The foot construction permits the foot 7 to be attached to the base 2A at other angles without altering the foot as shown in phantom outline in FIGS. 3A & 3B wherein the foot components 7A and 7B can be positioned at different elevations and angles relative to each other.

Again referring to FIG. 3A & 3B, the inventive fixed armrest pad support bracket 6 is demonstrated. A preferred configuration of raised tabs 10 are inserted into matching slots 6B (FIG. 3C) in an armrest pad 6A, and secured with a single screw 6C in a preferred position which engages a armrest bore 6D which passes through a corresponding fastener hole 6E (FIG. 6) formed in the armrest bracket 6 located at the top of the support column 2. At least the tabs 10 are inclined forwardly, upwardly so that attachment of the armrest pad 6A is accomplished by downward, rearward movement of the armrest pad 6A. The fastener 6C then prevents any forward or vertical displacement of the arm rest pad 6A which locks the armrest pad 6A in fixed engagement with the tabs 10 and their associated support bracket 6.

Referring to FIG. 4A & 4B, note the inventive pivot rod assembly 4 with a rod 11 having ends 11A and 11B formed of round bar stock by flattening one pivot rod end 11A to approximately one half the diameter of the rod 11 continuous with the lower surface of the outside of the rod 11, and the opposite end 11B flattened such that the outside surface is continuous to the upper surface of the outside of the rod 11, at 180 degrees offset to the first flattened surface 11A. The rod ends 11A and 11B each include a slot 11C for receiving the fastener 4A vertically therethrough. As seen in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the rod ends 11A and 11B fit within a mounting slot 8B formed in the mounting bracket 8. The mounting slot 8B is also shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and FIGS. 7A-7C.

Note in detail presented in FIG. 5A the assembly of pivot rods 4 from two adjacent seats 3 on a shared column support bracket 8. A single fastener 4A is used to affix the stacked pivot rod ends 11A and 11B to the column support bracket 8.

In FIG. 5B the use of the pivot rod spacer 12 is demonstrated where a pivot rod end 11B is mounted on a row end support column 2, which would be at the right side of FIGS. 1 and 2. Note that it may be installed above or below the pivot rod end 11A or 11B dependent on the right hand or left hand location of the row end support column 2.

The present invention thus provides a seat mounting system which is exceptionally strong while conserving material in construction and labor in final installation at the seating facility.

More particularly as to the individual components described above, FIGS. 6 and 7A-7D illustrate the construction of the columns 2. These columns 2 are used at each end of a seat 3 wherein an intermediate column 2 designated as 2-1 of FIG. 1 supports two pivot rod assemblies 4 and the end of row columns 2-2 support only one end of a pivot rod assembly 4. As described above, the column 2 includes a tapered support tube 16 which has the armrest bracket 6, mounting bracket 8 and foot 7 attached thereto.

The tapered tube 16 and the projecting back support wing 9 together are constructed of a single piece of sheet metal as illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8D. Referring also to FIG. 8, a single blank 17 is provided which has fold lines 18A and 18B, 19A and 19B and 20. The fold line 20 defines the wing 9. The region of the blank 17 between fold lines 18A/20 and 18B/20 define rear wall portions 21A and 21B which are folded and abut together during assembly to form a seam 22 that is joined such as by welding to define a rear tube wall 23. Tube side walls 24 are defined between the fold lines 18A/19A and 18B/19B. A tube front wall 25 is defined between the fold lines 19A/19B. The tapered shape defines a small top opening 26 and a larger bottom opening 27. While the base 2A is shown horizontal in FIG. 8A, which is suitable for a flat floor, the tube 16 also may be formed at the bottom opening 27 at an angle relative to a horizontal line to accommodate an inclined base surface defined by an inclined floor or riser.

As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 6 and 9A-9D, the foot 7 is preferably formed of two foot portions 7A and 7B. Essentially, each foot portion 7A and 7B may be formed of a common foot bracket 30. The foot bracket 30 is generally U-shaped and is open at a mounting end 31 so as to fit over the front tube wall 25 or rear tube wall 23. The foot bracket 30 has two base flanges 32 that have fastener holes 33. These flanges 32 are supported on the floor and then bolted thereto through the holes 33. Accordingly, the foot brackets 30 may be attached in pairs to the base 2A of the support column 7 at a variety of angles. The foot bracket 30 contains one or more holes 33 for affixing the foot 7 to the floor or riser. A constant spacing between the front and rear mounting holes 33 is maintained for any angle at which the feet are attached. Additionally, the mating surface between the foot and the column maximizes resistance to side forces.

To attach the foot bracket 30 to the column 2, the mounting end 31 is defined by a top pivot edge 34 which abuts either the front tube wall 25 or rear tube wall 23, and which defines a pivot axis for adjusting the angle of the foot bracket 30. The foot bracket 30 also has two side walls 35 which terminate at fixing edges 36 which define the open mounting end 31. The bracket side walls 35 and fixing edges 36 straddle the tube side walls 24 and are slidable along the side walls 24 as the bracket angle and vertical position is adjusted and set. Thereafter, the foot bracket 30 is fixed in place such as by welding along the bracket fixing edges 36 and even top edge 34, which fixes the angle of the foot bracket 30. In this manner, the variety of bracket angles shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B can be set.

FIGS. 10-12 show the seat assembly 3 in further detail. The seat 3 includes a seat pan 40 covered by a cushion 41. The seat pan 40 has side walls 42 to which mounting brackets 43 are attached by fasteners 44. The brackets 42 rotatably support the pivot rod 11 on the side walls 42 to support the seat 3 wherein the pivot rod 11 is fixed in place by fasteners 4A (FIGS. 5A and 5B) to the support columns 2 while the seat 3 is able pivot on the rod 11. The rod includes two limit flanges 45 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) which project radially from the rod 11 and cooperate with the mounting brackets 43 to define stops that limit the rotation of the seat 3 between up and down positions.

An alternate seat construction is shown in FIGS. 14, 15A-15C and 16A -16B. This seat assembly 50 includes a backrest frame 51 having two support arms 52 which include front and rear mounting holes 53A and 53B. FIGS. 15A-15C show a first support column 54 which has a tubular post 55 formed of a folded blank similar to that described above. The post 55 includes an arm rest mounting bracket 56 which pivotally supports an armrest adjacent the back frame 51 and a seat mounting bracket 58 for supporting the backrest frame 51 and a seat assembly 3 like that described above. The seat mounting bracket 58 includes front and rear fastener holes 58A and 58B which align with the frame holes 53A and 53B for attaching the backrest frame 51 thereto.

Forward holes 57 are also provided and the pivot rods 11 described above are attached to these holes 57 so that a seat 3 can be pivotally supported thereon. The pivot rod 11 described above may be used wherein the ends 11A and 11B may be modified so as to be symmetric at the opposite ends instead of staggered as described above, or alternatively, the spacers 12 may be provided to level the seat 3 if the staggered ends 11A and 11B are provided as shown in FIG. 4A. In this manner, the pivot rod 11 rigidifies the row of seats due to the fixed attachment of the rod 11 to the seat mounting brackets 58. Two brackets 58 are typically provided on the post 55 for the middle seats 3 while only a single bracket 58 would be provided on the post 55 at the end of a row of seats.

At the base 54A of the support column 54, two foot brackets 30 are attached to the post 55 in the same manner as described above. The angle of the brackets 30 may be adjusted to accommodate flat or inclined floors and risers so that the brackets define foot portions 60A and 60B.

In the modified support column 61 of FIGS. 16A and 16B, the column 61 is defined by an upright post 62 which has a lateral post 63 projecting rearwardly therefrom for attachment to an upright support structure such as a wall. An armrest support bracket 56 is provided as well as a pair of mounting brackets 58 for supporting the seats 3. The lateral post 63 includes a pair of foot brackets 30 attached thereto which shows how the foot design described herein is adaptable to different orientations and support columns.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts, features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and many other modifications and variations will likely be ascertainable by those skilled in the art. 

1. A support column (often referred to as a “standard” or “upright”) for row seating which includes a chair with a projecting wing for adjustably mounting a seat back rest, said support column constructed from a single piece of sheet metal in a tapered tubular form with a rectangular cross section and said projecting wing, wherein the taper is wide at the base and narrows toward the top of the support column, the support column including a mounting foot, or feet, affixed to the bottom of the column, a mount for a seat assembly, and optionally, a mount for an armrest or other devices, wherein the support column may support adjacent seats, or a single seat as on a row end.
 2. The support column according to claim 1, wherein said foot comprises two components, permanently affixed to the base of the support column, which may be mounted to the front and back of the column, and which may be affixed at different angles to the support column to accommodate differing slopes of the mounting surface, without alteration of the foot components, the foot including one or more holes for affixing the foot to a floor or riser stud, wherein the construction of the foot permits a constant spacing between holes regardless of angle of attachment.
 3. A system of row seating including a chair comprising support columns (often referred to as a “standard” or “upright”) at opposite sides of a seat which includes a pivot rod support for the seat, which said pivot rod is rigidly mounted between two pivot rod column brackets supported on the support columns, a single fastener being provided at each end of the pivot rod, wherein the ends of the pivot rod are formed such that the ends utilize a common construction for the support column and the ends may be stacked on top of each other, and affixed with the single fastener at shared mounting points while keeping the seat portion of the seat assembly level and at common height with adjacent seats, the pivot rod being directly attached to the column brackets without a plate or bracket mounted to the end to directly transfer lateral forces of movement to the support columns.
 4. The row seating according to claim 3, which includes a spacer for the pivot rod which is interchangeably affixed above or below the pivot rod end on a row end seat which defines the end of a row of seats to compensate for height differences when only one pivot rod is attached to the support column bracket at the row end.
 5. A system of row seating including a chair comprising support columns at opposite sides of a seat, a support column being provided with a rigid mounting bracket for an armrest pad which consists of a plurality mounting tabs projecting from the surface of the bracket at a common angle, with a single threaded fastener which is installed through the bracket and draws the armrest pad tight to the mounting tabs, said mounting bracket being combined with an armrest pad with recesses cut or molded to mate with said mounting tabs, wherein the armrest attachment directs lateral forces away from the threaded fastener and toward the mounting tabs. 